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Small Recruits for Carthage
I have now completed the four units of 6mm Spanish scutarii I need for my Carthaginian army. Recruited for the Society of Ancients Ilipa...
Simon MacDowall
Dec 1, 20232 min read


Downsizing
Over the past few years I have been playing with the big kids. Now I am revisiting my 6 mil ancients. My motivation is the Society of...
Simon MacDowall
Nov 17, 20232 min read


Stoke Field
Stoke Field (1487) is a most unusual and interesting battle, and the last engagement of the Wars of the Roses. After Bosworth the 10 year...
Simon MacDowall
Nov 13, 20233 min read


The Prussians are Coming!
I know very little about the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 but I recently had the pleasure of playing the Prussians at a game of the...
Simon MacDowall
Nov 9, 20231 min read


The Last Yorkists
Stoke Field (1487) was the last attempt by the Yorkists to regain the throne of England. These figures are also the last Yorkists I...
Simon MacDowall
Nov 8, 20231 min read


The Wild Irish
Next Sunday I shall be staging the last battle of the Wars of the Roses — Stoke Field (1487). Around 4000 Irish, led by Sir Thomas...
Simon MacDowall
Nov 5, 20231 min read


Society of Ancients Convention 2023
After a false start due to local flooding I managed to make it to the Society of Ancients Convention at Madingley Hall, Cambridge. With...
Simon MacDowall
Oct 23, 20231 min read


Battle in the Mist
At Barnet in the early hours of 14 April 1471, King Edward IV led his army through a thick mist to attack the Earl of Warwick’s...
Simon MacDowall
Oct 12, 20233 min read


New Wars of the Roses Command Groups
When I first began to paint my Wars of the Roses armies I decided to focus on those contingents taking part in the Battle of Barnet...
Simon MacDowall
Oct 6, 20231 min read


Manzikert Scenario
The full scenario for my Manzikert game is now available in the scenarios section of my website here. This includes full orders of battle...
Simon MacDowall
Sep 29, 20231 min read


Defeat from the Jaws of Victory
Some years back we refought the Battles of the Boyne and Aughrim both of which the Jacobite players won. It seemed like a good idea to...
Simon MacDowall
Sep 28, 20233 min read


Manzikert re-fought
In 1071 the East Roman Emperor Romanus IV gathered a huge army with the intent of breaking the growing power of the Seljuk Turks....
Simon MacDowall
Aug 19, 20233 min read


Arming the Knights
Painting 15th Century men at arms could be incredibly simple since most were encased from head to foot in armour. A black wash over...
Simon MacDowall
Aug 17, 20233 min read


Lancastrian Archers
Working through my orders of battle for Barnet (1471) I realised that I needed a few more Lancastrian archers. As I had plenty of spares...
Simon MacDowall
Aug 15, 20231 min read


Raising the Shires for King Edward
Originally a Lancastrian, Sir William Norreys changed his allegiance to King Edward IV after the Battle of Towton. Sir William commanded...
Simon MacDowall
Aug 8, 20231 min read


Seljuk Ghulams
The latest off my painting table is this unit of Seljuk Ghulams — the professional ‘slave soldiers’ of Alp Arslan’s army at Manzikert....
Simon MacDowall
Jul 21, 20231 min read


King Edward Prevails
The semi-fictitious Wars of the Roses engagement at Newark (1471) makes for a really good two player game. A visit by Harry Sidebottom...
Simon MacDowall
Jul 12, 20232 min read


Alp Arslan Considers
Faced with a far more numerous enemy at Manzikert, Sultan Muhammad Ibn Dawud Çağrı, known as Alp Arslan, considers his options. Alp...
Simon MacDowall
Jul 5, 20231 min read


Stong as a Lion
Muhammad Ibn Dawud Çağrı, know as ‘Alp Arslan’ (strong as a lion), led the Seljuk Turks to victory over the East Romans at Manzikert in...
Simon MacDowall
Jun 10, 20231 min read


Ready to Battle the Turks
My 11th C Armenians are now ready to join the East Roman Emperor's expedition against the Seljuk Turks. The figures are all from Perry...
Simon MacDowall
May 27, 20231 min read
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